


His Sworn Protector

by Calacious



Series: Comfort in November and December 2020 [11]
Category: General Hospital (TV 1963)
Genre: Aftermath of Hostage Situation, Assumed Relationship, Comfortember, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional support animal, M/M, Mention of Death of a Non-Character, PTSD Elements, Panic Attack Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:27:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27555352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calacious/pseuds/Calacious
Summary: Maisy lets out a contented huff, happy that her charge is safe and secure locked in the arms of the man who loves him, and his sworn protector.
Relationships: Jason Morgan/Damian Spinelli
Series: Comfort in November and December 2020 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996825
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4
Collections: Comfortember 2020





	His Sworn Protector

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Comfortember's prompt: Therapy/Emotional Support Pet
> 
> A kind of slice of life story that deals with the aftermath of a traumatic experience that is briefly described.

It’s almost ten, and Spinelli should already be in bed, asleep, but he’s up and restless, waiting for Stone Cold to return from the fundraiser he’d had to attend. If Spinelli had his anxiety under better control, he could have attended the fundraiser as Stone Cold’s plus one. His anxiety is not under control, though, and every time he closes his eyes, he still sees the dead eyes of the woman who’d been killed right in front of him.

It’s been six months now since he’d been rescued from the men who’d taken him and several other people hostage. Six months, and Spinelli is still jumping at his own shadow, and can’t stand to be touched by anyone other than Stone Cold.

Wuh, the sound is little more than an exhale of air, but it’s enough to draw Spinelli out of his downward spiral of thoughts. Enough to get him to stop thinking of the way the woman’s eyes had clouded over in death. 

It had taken five days for them to be rescued. Spinelli, and another young man, had been the only survivors. They don’t meet, or speak, outside of their group therapy sessions. 

There’s a slight whine, and then a paw swipes at his knee, and there’s a wet nose nudging his hand. Spinelli lets out a laugh in spite of himself. Maisy, the golden retriever that Stone Cold had gotten Spinelli when the therapist had recommended an emotional support dog, jumps onto the couch beside him and rests her head in his lap. 

Maisy bumps his hand with her nose, demanding pets, and Spinelli starts to relax against the back of the couch as he moves his hand through her silky fur. She lets out a sigh of contentment. 

“You’re a good girl,” Spinelli praises, and Maisy’s eyes roll up to look at him. She’s got a goofy grin on her face, and moans in a contended way when Spinelli scratches behind her ears.

By the time that Stone Cold slips in through the door at half past midnight, Spinelli’s dozing on the couch, and Maisy has crawled fully into his lap, hugging him with her paws. He stirs when Stone Cold’s lips brush against his forehead, and Maisy makes a disgruntled noise that has Stone Cold chuckling, and shushing her with a scratch on her chin.

“Let’s get you up to bed,” Stone Cold whispers. Maisy reluctantly moves from Spinelli’s lap and does a full body stretch and yawns when Stone Cold lifts Spinelli into his arms and carries him up the stairs. 

Maisy trots behind them, obediently following her masters. When Stone Cold settles Spinelli into bed, Maisy stands at the threshold of the door, uncertain of her welcome, because that’s usually where the line is drawn.

Spinelli stirs, and mumbles something incoherent, and Maisy whines, her body trembling with the desire to go and offer aid (even if it might not be needed). Sighing, Stone Cold gives her a tired look, and shakes his head. Still, he does the hand motion that means Maisy can move forward into the room, and says, “Come on, I guess it can’t hurt for one night.”

Maisy doesn’t need telling twice. She sprints into the room, and jumps on the bed. After making a few circles to tamp down her spot, she nestles in beside Spinelli, and is rewarded when the young man wraps an arm around her and nuzzles her fur.

Stone Cold lets out another sigh, and mutters something that is indecipherable to Maisy as he climbs into bed, spooning behind Spinelli. Maisy lets out a contented huff, happy that her charge is safe and secure locked in the arms of the man who loves him, and his sworn protector. He’s safe with Stone Cold and Maisy there to watch his back, and keep the nightmares at bay.


End file.
